Liquid fuel feed system



July 27, 1937. A. ALVAREZ 2,088,316

' LIQUID FUEL FEED SYSTEM Filed May 20, 1936 In venlor A tlorney.

Patented July 27, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in liquid fuel feed systems and specifically to emergency gasoline tanks for com bustion engines, the peculiarities of which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

This tank is preferably mounted forward of the dash board in an auto for convenient discharge by manual opening of its discharge valve which is normally closed. This tank is open to the atmosphere-is directly connected by separate pipe lines to the pump and carburetor respectively, and the filtered gasoline or liquid fuel therein remains normally undisturbed in reserve for emergency use.

The main object of my invention is to provide a simple, effective construction that is relatively cheap and readily applied to autos.

In the accompanying drawing in which like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts,

Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a construction exemplifying my invention; and

Fig. 2, an enlarged sectional elevation of my I supplies the combustion engine in the block indicated by dotted lines, in the usual manner.

The main feed pipe 5 has a T I bywhich a connecting pipe 8 communicates with my reserve tank 9 near the top through a filter l of'gauze or other suitable material which prevents foreign particles in the gasoline from clogging shut-off valve II at the inlet to the tank by preventing full closure of said valve on its seat. The stem of said valve is under closing pressure from a lever arm I2, pivoted on a rod l3, and controlled by a float I 4 lifted by the contained gasoline as indicated.

This float-controlled valve or its equivalent, closes the inlet end of the feed pipe 8 against the flow of fuel from the pump when the float is lifted to a definite level by the contained gasoline and a suitable cover 9' allows mounting this cutofi valve inside the tank.

In the primary filling of this tank, the entering gasoline drives out the surplus air through a vent pipe IS in the top, and the remaining air is under atmospheric pressure. This vent pipe is preferably in the form of a vertical spiral tube of one or more turns, which prevents splashing out the gasoline under motion of the auto, as it has so demonstrated in practice.

The pump feeds the gasoline through said main feed pipe to the carburetor in one direction from the T I, and in the other direction from said T only until said float-controlled valve ll closes and prevents any more gasoline entering 5 the reserve tank until by evaporation or otherwise, the float descends. A drain cock IS in the bottom of said reserve tank allows drawing ofl any water of condensation or sediment in the contained gasoline; also for cleansing purposes gas- 10 oline is conveniently accessible by said drain cock. The contained gasoline is retained undisturbed except as above stated, till an emergency arises, such as failure of the pump by freezing or otherwise or exhausting the storage tank, in which case a screw or other valve I1 is opened bymanually operating a flexible connection [8 extending through the dash, which allows the reserve gasoline to flow by gravity through a secondary pipe l9 extending from the side of the reserve tank to the carburetor, giving a supply of fuel independently of the main feed pipe 5 normally supplying the carburetor from the pump.

This parallel and independently operating carburetor feed pipe [9 is preferably connected by a T 20 at the inlet to the carburetor, and can thus provide a supply for the carburetor in the stated emergency, when the normal supply ceases to flow through the main feed pipe 5. If the pump thaws out, or the car arrives at a filling station, the outlet valve I I may be closed again. When the pump is working again, the reserve tank is filled again till the float-controlled valve cuts off the entrance of gasoline to the reserve tank.

This reserve tank is formed with a rounded bottom forming a sump 2| for water or sediment'below the level of the side discharge 22 where the outlet pipe I! is connected. This outlet is thus kept free from water or sediment deposited in said sump, and eficient fuel discharge from the 40 reserve tank is therefore available in such emergency. v

This system is simple, relatively cheap, readily applied to the usual car construction, and its efliciency has been demonstrated in practice. The 5 Ts 'l and 20 above described, facilitate its application to present feed systems, but it may be otherwise connected without departing from the scope of the appended claim.

I claim: a

An improved liquid fuel system for automobiles having, in combination a storage tank, a pump,

a carburetor, and a reserve tank vented to the atmosphere and having its fuel contents undisturbed under normal feed operation, a pipe connecting the pump and storage tank, a main teed pipe characterized by having a T from one end of which said pipe leads to thecarburetor through a T at the inlet oi. the carburetor, a connectingpipe from the other end of the first T communieating with Said reserve tank through a float-controlled inlet to the tank, a secondary pipe separate from the main teed pipe and extending from the reserve tank to the f at the carburetor inlet,

.. and a valve in the secondary pipe having a man- AIBERT ALVAREZ. 

